On September 9, twenty-two of this year’s twenty-three volunteers arrived
in Philadelphia for 10 days of orientation, before heading off to their projects in nine
cities across the Northeast and Midwest. One volunteer was delayed due to visa
problems, but has now arrived safely at his project in Cleveland.
The Orientation Days or “O-Tage” in ARSP lingo, are an opportunity for the volunteers
to get to know each other and to get their first exposure to life in the United States.
On their second day, four teams left the seclusion of Chamounix Mansion Hostel and,
with small trinkets like an earring or a small scarf in hand, went from landmark to
landmark in the city and tried to trade their trifle with people they came in contact with
for something else. One team with particularly good bargaining skills – or perhaps just good luck – returned with skis and ski boots that they then donated to the local
Thrift for AIDS.
The seminar continued with visits to a synagogue in Germantown, hearing about the
Jewish holidays and the Quaker faith, helping out in a day shelter for the homeless
in Camden, and learning about how American government functions – particularly the
upcoming presidential primaries. Discussions about racism and intercultural
understanding rounded out a very full agenda.
Finally, the volunteers were taken into the homes of local Philadelphians for the annual Host Weekend, a chance to experience American life in
a very personal way. Each year our hosts open both their hearts and their homes and make the new volunteers feel welcome. We want to thank them, and all of the others who made the O-Tage so successful.
